“Our industry is a solutions industry. Galway will be in the shop window when it becomes the European City of Culture in 2020. We have a once in a century opportunity to show-case how attractive the city and region is for Foreign Direct Investment and as a counter balance to Dublin’s sprawling unplanned growth.

We must seize this opportunity to put in place the housing and infrastructure that will put Galway back on the map.

In addition, Brexit represents a major threat to some of our sectors, but opportunities in others. Galway is eminently placed to attract companies in key sectors like financial services, med tech etc. We need to build on our strengths. Our industry is the only one that can shape this city and its infrastructure in advance of 2020.”

CIF Director-General Tom Parlon, who also spoke at the event, said:

“As Galway prepares to start building again and prepares to become the Capital City of Culture, it is the people in this room that will make the biggest contribution.

Remember for every employee you have, you support another one in the wider economy. For every euro your business makes, the local economy benefits by €1 euro because you purchase locally. Every house you build supports around three jobs in the economy. Every billion in infrastructure you deliver generates another billion for the economy and 10-12,000 jobs.

We have 46,000 construction-related companies, 45,000 self-employed and 140,000 employees in every single community in Ireland. It’s a simple equation: when we work, the country works.”

CIF Regional Director for Western Region Justin Molloy said after the event:

“This was the first CIF Western Region Gala Ball to take place in eight years and it was wonderful to see so many of our members there to support two incredible charities Croi and the RNLI.

Our main sponsor was Roadstone and the entire event has been a testament to the generosity and resilience of our industry.

The CIF are lobbying government to invest in regional infrastructure, to support the clusters of economic activity like medtech in Galway and ensure that our members have work closer to home.

We must invest so that our regions offer real opportunity for people to live, bring up families and build careers.”